Stir Up Repentance

Advent Two

December 5, 1999

Goal: That the hearers live in repentance as they wait for Christ’s coming.

I have a question for you ladies this morning. What do you think, will a man drive around in circles trying to find his way before stopping to get directions?

Let me share with you a story about that very thing. After traveling in circles for nearly an hour, passengers urged the driver to stop and ask directions so they could get home. The plea fell on deaf ears and the driver continued to search for the right road. He would not admit that he was lost. Finally, after passing a bright red barn for the third time, a passenger boldly blurted, “Stop. Look. Listen. You are lost. Admit it. Turn around and get some directions.” The driver slammed on the brakes, made a U-turn, and pulled into the nearest service station to ask directions. He found the way home. The message of the prophets, repeated by John the Baptist and Jesus, is “Repent! Admit you are lost. Make a U-turn and get directions.” This is describes repentance. Repentance is not a one-time thing, but a life-long mindset, or better said, heart set.

Now let’s put this story into the context of our lives. Men typically won’t stop for directions because we are hunter, we know the way. Besides who has the patience to stop for directions? Oh, now you ladies don’t get out of what I’m about to say that easily. Just think about how impatient we all are! We don’t want to wait for rice to cook so we use instant rice; we’re too busy to wait for a good breakfast so we have instant oatmeal. Then there’s microwave cooking, drive-through restaurants; computers that can perform FOUR TRILLION instructions per second. TV shows that purport to teach us how to solve any problem in 22 minutes or less. Commercial Christmas begins weeks, or even months, before Advent. Even as Christians we get caught up in all the scurry and push of the instantaneous gratification. So when Peter speaks to Christians in our text, he is pointing to the impatient human demands to know when Christ’s Second Advent is going to take place. You see, for some it is not a matter of faith, but simply a matter of their own thoughts that Jesus will return. They consider it is better to totally discount the notion of his return than to expect it. Beloved children of God, today the Holy Spirit recalls us to God’s eternal perspective regarding the Lord’s return. He is giving us information that will prepare our hearts and strengthen our faith in God’s Word. He wants us to stop! Look! And Listen. He wants to stir up repentance in us.

You see, Jesus is definitely coming again with specific consequences for all people and for the physical world. For the unprepared and unsuspecting that great day comes like a thief in the night. And like a thief makes off with ones treasure, so also many will loose their heavenly treasure in that day simply because they did not believe the truth.

The day of the Lord will come (v10). It is a matter of God’s purposeful timing, not ours. The point of comparison Peter wants to make is this: The Lord God is eternal. To him a thousand years are like a day. To him a day is the same as a thousand years. Being eternal means that he is not governed by time as we humans are. In fact he created time as a blessing for us, not himself. So, the point of comparison is His eternal nature as compared to our natural impatience. Of this we need to repent. Have you never heard that patience is the fruit of the Spirit of the living God? He is patient, we are not.

Let me illustrate that. A man supposedly came to the Lord and asked, “Is it true that for you a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day?” The Lord said, “Yes.” The man supposedly continued, “And is it true that to you a penny is like a million dollars and a million dollars like a penny?” “Yes.” “May I have a penny?” “Yes. Tomorrow.”

Because of our natural impatience, it becomes necessary for everything to be destroyed, not only created things, but also creaturely, man-made things. And this much we can be sure of; It will happen just as the Lord has said. (vv 10, 12).

When it does, the ungodly will be destroyed. Consider Peter’s God-breathed warning: “By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and the destruction of ungodly men” (v 7). Thank God, then, that he does not mark time as we do. Thank God that He is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. Can you hear the apostolic warning? Stop! Look! And Listen. Turn around and be saved.

God is delaying the Second Coming out of his great love for people to allow for repentance as long as possible. My friends this is pure grace. How foolish to think we can put off a relationship with Jesus Christ until right before we die. How foolish because the opportunity is offered now. It will not be offered then. It will be too late. Stop! Look! And Listen! Our direction might be placing us in jeopardy. Do you want to chance it? Is it not easier to repent of our faithlessness now than to try to extract ourselves from the certainty of hell? You see, that’s the point. The Lord is delaying his return out of patience for us and all people (v 9). He is giving more people time to repent and come to a knowledge of the truth.

He is also giving believers time to herald the Gospel message to all nations. Remember the words of Jesus in (Mt 24:14) “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Isn’t that wonderful?! God is so good.

He is good to work that eager expectation for Jesus to come again soon through repentance and faith. He is good to stir our hearts to live out our days in repentant faith and holiness, that He Himself brings to us as a free gift of grace. Stop, then. Look, then. And Listen, for the Lord is drawing near right now to stir up repentance in us. He is present according to His own Word of promise in the water and word of Holy Baptism. He is present in the proclamation of His Word. He is present in the Holy Supper to which He invites us to participate in.

Because of this we look to his coming with eagerness, not dread (vv 11-12). Eagerness because when that day comes he will bring all who trust Him in repentant faith into the new home of righteousness that he has already prepared for us (v 13). That’s what Peter means when he says, “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” God is so good to not treat the repentant sinner according to our sin, but according to his own righteousness, which brings us the certain hope of being found spotless, blameless, and at peace with God in Christ Jesus our Lord (v 14) on that great and terrible day. Amen.